Resilient wheel.



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1. RIGNEY. K RESILlE-NT WHEEL. APPLICATION FAILED AFR. 6.11914- Patend 1m28, 19.15.

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JOSEPH RIGNEY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

` RESILIENT WHEEL.

To all whom it may concern.'

4 Be it known that I, JOSEPH RiGNEr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, New York, and whose postoffice address is 126 Claremont avenue, in the borough of Manhattan, county, city, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient Wheels, as set forth in the following specilication.

This invention relates to vehicle wheels, more particularly to those adapted `for use on automobile trucks, automobiles and the like.

The object of the invention is to minimize the disastrous effects from sudden shocks transmitted from inequalities in the roadway and from thesudden stopping and starting of Vthe power transmission. To this end there is contemplated within the invention 'the provision of resilient means providing relief against shocks both in torsion in the case of a driving 4wheel for vehicles and in an axial direction imparted from the road- -way in the case of any wheel.

In carrying out the general object of the invention, an importantfeature is the employment of a pair of massive annular disks of resilient material which are so mounted at their inner portions upon the hub part of the wheel and upon their peripheral portions Y upon the outer part of thewheel as to provide a strong durable resilient l connection against torsion and .axial' compressionmbetween the outer part of the wheel and .the hubpart of the wheel and atthe same time having provisions for the making of an annular pneumatic chamber between the said disks to cooperate in resisting resiliently the radial stresses in the wheel.

More specifically, an object of the invention is the peculiar formation of the outer faces of these annular disks to permit a distortion strain resulting from the expending force of the pneumatic cushion without causing the disks to interfere with the free relative movementl of the confining metal parts The invention will be pointed out more particularly Yin the accompanying claims, which should be read in connection with'the illustrative embodiment of the invention described in the following specification, and 'shown in the accompanj'ing drawings, which form a part of this appfication, in whlch like Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1915.

Application'filed April 6 1914. Serial No. 829,736.

A and B indicate respectively the inner y and outer parts of a two part hub. The in-v ner part A is shown provided with a keyway 1 usual in connection with driving wheels to provide for the keying to the driving shaft, although it should be understood that this. hub-part may be fitted with any commercial form of beariiig desired so that the saine may be serviceable as other than a driving.\vheel.

The inner part A comprises a barrelshaped portion 2 integral with which is an annular flange 3 extending outwardly in a central location and extending like a ring about the entire barrel 2. The opposite faces 4 and 5 of this flange are finished to form a tight joint with rubber. 4Axially spaced apart from each other and from the central flange 3 are two detachable annular flanges 6 and 7 which fit snugly over the barrel 2 and provide inner parallel faces 8 and 9. The three .flanges 3, 6 and 7 are provided with alined perforations in sets to take the clamping bolts 10 which pass through and terminate in suitable nuts 11.

from the inner part A andcomprises an an- Vnula'i structuie 12 which may be of cast metal, extending inwardly from which ai'e two axially spaced flanges l-l and 15. One of these flanges is integral with the annular part 12 and the other is removable and adapted to lit against a shoulder formation 13. Alined perforations provide for the reception of suitably spaced bolts 16 fitted with the nuts 17 to complete the assemblement. l The flanges 14 and 15 provide axially spaced outer parallel faces 18 and 19 designed to slide against the inwardly directed faces 8 and 9 of the flanges 6 and 7.V These flanges 11 and 15 are provided also with inner flaring "surfaces 20 and 2]..

A pair of freeoannulardisks 22 of any suitable strong resilient material such as rubber, each disk having a central circular opening '23 of a size to fit over the barrel 2, is provided. The inner portion 30 of each disk,

which portion should extend out radially an extent equal substantially to the extent of the central flange 3, is of a considerable and of a uniform thickness. The inner face 31 or this portion 30 of each annular disk extends radially outward in the same plane as the inner face 32 of the outer marginal portion 33.v The outer face 34, however, of the marginal portion-33 is molded in a plane considerably inward from that of the outer face 35 of the inner or central portion 30. This outer face 34 merges into the outer face 35 in a gentle curve' forming the shoulder 24. Thus the portion 33 has only a fraction of the thickness of the central portion 30. This location of the initially concave shoulder 24' on the outside of each disk is purposeful in limiting an outward distortion of the disks from internal air pressurefrom the pneumatic cushion as presently will be described more fully. Through the metal of the barrel 2 and central flange 3 is provided an air passage 25 leading from the air chamber C formed between the disks 22. It is fitted with a check-'valve 26 and safetyplug 27.

In the structure shown the outer part B 'is an integral casting with the radially extending means shown in the form of hollow spokes D which secure the outer rim E to the rest of the wheel structure. The .rim E may be fitted with any suitable tire such as a solid rubber tire F.

In assembling the wheel structure, a pair of 'the annular disks 22 are slipped over the hub 2, one on one side of the central flange '3, and one on thejother side of the central This central flange serves as a flange 3.-

central spacing member at the mid-portion of the disks.

The marginal portions 33. of the two disks are brought together and are clamped with a sufficient degree of compression between the two flanges 14 and 15 through the medium of the bolts and nuts 16 andv 17. 'The flanges 6 and are then clamped against the central portions 30 of the two disks through the medium of theV bolts and nuts 10 and 11, the adjustment being such that the central portions of the disks 22 are sufficiently compressed to make anair-tight fit against the central flange 3 and so that the inner faces 8 and 9 of the flanges 6 and 7 are brought snugly against the outer parallel faces 18 and 19 of the flanges 14 and 15.v This assemblement prevents all axial play-between the outer part 'of the wheel structure and the hub part of the wheel structure, but permits, so far as framework is concerned,- a free relative circumferential and axial movement between the outer and inner parts of the wheel struccompressed air within the chamber C causes an outward str ain upon the mid-portions of the annular d1sks 22 so that the outer face of each disk is pushed out on the locality of the concave shoulder'24 practically to eliminate this concave shoulder on the outer face and roduce it anew from distortion at the locality 40 on the inner face of each disk. Thus it is evident that the concave shoulder 24 initially formed on the outer face of each disk permits a sufficient strain in the resilient disks themselves to withstand the bursting force of the pneumatic cushion in the chamber C Without forcing the outer faces of the disks too strongly against the flaring faces 20 and 21 of the flanges 14 and 15. As shown in the drawings these disks do not completely fil 'dille space between the flanges 6 and 7. n lthis manner much chaling and abrasion is eliminated upon the disks, which might otherwise be expected from an axial movement of the outer p0rtion of the wheel structure relatively to the hub portion thereof.

In the structure illustrated both the flanges 6 and 7 are shown non-integral with the hub 2, while fixity against movement of these flanges is accomplished. by means of their connection to the fixed central ange 3 through the medium of the bolts 10. Thus the central flange 3 serves as means for anchoring the outer flanges 6 and` 7 but should be regarded merely as illustrative means for this purpose, as it is understood that it is necessary that the inner portions of the annular disks need merely to be anchored in any suitable manner.

What is claimed and what is desired to be .secured by United States Letters' Patent 1s:-v

1. A vehicle Wheel comprising two parts, the parts of which are free to move radially and circumferentially in relation to each other, one part having two axially spaced flanges extending radially and having parallel inner faces and the 'other part having radially extending in `an opposite direction axially spaced flanges presenting parallel outer faces to be engaged slidably both radially and ,circumferentially by said parallel inner faces and also presenting outwardly f larin inner faces extending toward the flanges of said first mentioned part; a pair of massive annular disks of resilient material; means for clamping one pair of said flanges to the margins of said annular flanges to the outer faces of the inner portions of said disks, whereby said flanges inclose and protect said annular disks.

2. A vehicle wheel comprising two parts,

the parts of which are free to move radiallyv and circumferentially in relation to each other, one part having two axially spaced flanges extending radiallyand having parallel inner faces and the other part having radially extending in an opposite direction axially spaced flanges presenting parallel outer faces to be engaged slidably both radially and cireumferentially by said parallel inner faces and also presenting outwardly -nular disks to leave a chamber between their mid-portions,

3. In a vehicle wheel comprising two parts which are free to move both radially and circumferentially inv relation to each other, one being an inner annular part, and the other an outer annular part; vmeans for resiliently connectingsaid inner and outer parts comprising a pair of massive annular disks of resilient material; flanges relatively engaging each other slidably for confining said annular disks; each of said annular disks initially having a concave shoulder formation on its outer face whereby a distortion st rain may be permitted from the interior outward without interfering with the said confining flanges.

In witness whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH RIGNEY.

Witnesses:

HENRY SCHwED, LILLIE ALTMAN. 

